Reno County Youth Philanthropy Council 2018 grants

The 2017-2018 Youth Philanthropy Council members were Trenton Hopkins, Grant Owens, Mary Waln, Maria Urwiller, Eunique Negron, Payton Paramore, Vaughn Mahoney, Makaila Bergeron, D’Naeya Gray, Allison Link, Alex Altum, Trae Gehring, Dan Mailloux, Grace Vogel and Tessa Yackley.

The Youth Philanthropy Council of the Hutchinson Community Foundation awarded $3,000 in grants at a ceremony March 4 at the Hutchinson Art Center.

Led by 15 high school students from across Reno County, the Youth Philanthropy Council is a grant-making program designed to involve area students in philanthropy: the practice of giving money, time and talents to help make life better for other people. This year’s group began meeting in November 2017 to discuss local issues of concern to youth, learn about grant making and award grants to youth-serving organizations.

“Being able to have a hand in helping youth-serving organizations in Reno County is truly eye opening. I’m so proud to be a part of a group of youth committed to finding solutions to problems affecting youth in the area,” said Tessa Yackley, Trinity Catholic High School senior and the council’s co-chairperson.

The grants are awarded from the Richard W. Dillon Memorial Fund, established by the Dillon family to honor Dick Dillon for his extensive philanthropic work in the community.

The following grants were given:

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Hutchinson: $440 for a frappuccino bar at the club to serve as a connecting point for older students and to provide business-operation experience.
• Central Christian School: $225 for Serve-A-Thon: Cougars Who Care, an all-school day of serving. The grant will purchase backpacks filled with supplies for personal needs to be distributed at the Children’s Emergency Shelter.
• Dillon Nature Center: $200 for STEM programs.
  Hutchinson’s Historic Fox Theatre: $375 for the theater’s “By the Bus” arts in education program.
• Kansas Food Bank: $400 for Food 4 Kids Reno County-Weekend Backpack Program.
• McCandless Elementary School: $750 for materials to build an outdoor classroom at the school.
• Plum Creek Elementary School: $60 for second-graders to provide free lemonade to community members in hopes of fostering a philanthropic spirit and brightening the days of others.
• Prairie Independent Living Resource Center: $550 for the organization’s Disability Mentoring Day.

The 2017-2018 council members are Trenton Hopkins, Grant Owens and Mary Waln, Buhler High School; Maria Urwiller, Central Christian School; Eunique Negron and Payton Paramore, Haven High School; Vaughn Mahoney, Home School Association; Makaila Bergeron, D’Naeya Gray and Allison Link, Hutchinson High School; Alex Altum, Nickerson High School; Trae Gehring, Pretty Prairie High School; Dan Mailloux, Grace Vogel and Tessa Yackley, Trinity Catholic High School.